Career and Tech Classes Collaborate on Project for Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office

Welding and Auto Body classes at TST BOCES worked together to complete a project for the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office.

The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office contacted TST BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) to see if they would be able to help fix a set of steel steps attached to a van used to transport incarcerated individuals. The steps fold down when in use and fold up to remain out of the way while driving. Over time the steps required maintenance and were no longer safe to use.

With the assistance of Welding instructor Randy Jackson, three welding students assessed the project to determine what would be needed to make the necessary repairs and devised a plan to make the steps usable again. Then the students were able to use skills they had learned in class to implement their plan and fix the steps.

Then the project was turned over to the CTE Auto Body program for completion. Three Auto Body students polished the steps and pivot joints before applying truck bed liner as a finish. The truck bed liner provides durability as well as traction for improved safety.

“We at the Sheriff’s Office like to reach out to our community partners to see if there’s an opportunity we can share services,” said Captain Ray Bunce from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office. “We got it all together and got it done, and the Sheriff appreciates every bit of it. They did a fantastic job.”

The students from Welding who worked on the project were: Mason Arnold, Garett Rushlow and Darren Wojtanik. The students from Auto Body who worked on the project were: Avery Ellis, Anthony Hatch and Cheyenne Ponton.